Crow Boy

Yashima, T. (1955). Crow boy. New York: Viking Press.

SUMMARY

Crow Boy, by Taro Yashima, received the Caldecott Medal for its exceptional artwork in 1956. The story is set in rural Japan in the early part of the 20^th century. The striking pictures were done in ink, crayon, pencil and tempera. Crow Boy is a book about an outcast boy who struggles in school but excels in other ways. The protagonist is named Chibi, which means, “tiny boy.” At first he is afraid of the teacher and the students. Chibi always straggles alone at the end of the class line. He behaves oddly in school and this earns him few friends—his classmates call him “stupid” and “slowpoke.” Everyday he comes to school clad in a dried zebra grass poncho and eats the same meagre lunch by himself. In the children’s sixth year, Mr. Isobe, becomes the new teacher and he befriends Chibi and discovers and nurtures Chibi’s talents. Later, in the school talent show, Mr. Isobe encourages Chibi to perform his remarkable imitations and the students are stunned and touched by Chibi’s skill, and feel sympathy for him for the first time. At the end of the book Chibi is honored with an award for years of perfect attendance, though he has trudged miles in mountainous terrain to come to and from school each day.

CHARACTERS

Besides Chibi, the main character of interest in the book is Mr. Isobe. In contrast with the old, wizened former headmaster, the new Mr. Isobe exudes openness and concern.

QUALITY AND ILLUSTRATIONS

This spare book highlights mean-spirited village teasing and the difficulties of a child with special needs in another country, but it can easily apply to bullying and exclusion in today’s classroom. The illustrations allude to Chibi’s far-off home in the mountains. The book employs “simile” and compares Chibi’s voice to the call of crows. Rural, Japanese village life is portrayed in the book, describing fauna, foods, and rough clothing items worn by the poor. With the sparest strokes of a pen Yashima shows in Chibi’s face the boy’s oddness and forlornness, his shyness, growth, and contentment at the end.

PLOT AND CONFLICT

The conflict is Chibi’s wretched isolation and exclusion. This is only overcome by the kindness of a teacher who makes extra effort to get to know the child and highlight his strengths and models acknowledging Chibi’s rare skills.

GENRE

Illustrated story book, fiction

INTEREST LEVEL

Grade 2-3, but good for older elementary when discussing bullying and exclusion

Lexile: 690

Guided Reading Level: L

MINI-LESSON

This book presents an opportunity to discuss taunting, mocking, and exclusion. The mini-lesson could be composed of open-ended discussion questions, starting with innocuous queries first, and moving into questions of greater individual and group self-examination.

How is the school in the story different from our school here in Minnesota?

Why do you think Chibi keeps coming to school everyday?

What kinds of gifts or special talents did Chibi have that were different from his classmates?

Why don’t children defend him when he is teased?

Why does Mr. Isobe take extra time with Chibi?

How does Chibi feel, do you think, when he spends time with Mr. Isobe?

Who has the most power to alter an unkind, teasing situation? Why?